Surfer Blood Played CMJ, Playing Brooklyn Bowl w/ Art Brut

Florida’s Surfer Blood played a lot of shows at CMJ this year (around 12 or so) and I think they benefited from the exposure— people were talking about them, and for the most part, saying pretty good things. I caught them at the Kanine Records showcase the Cake Shop (Oct 22) and I was pleasantly surprised by their set. Typically I’m not bowled over by garage rock, but these guys do it with a little more melody and their percussionist adds a layer of sophistication that you don’t usually find in bands of their oeuvre. Everybody likes to makes comparisons, and if I had to throw in my own 2 cents, I’d call them a cross between Vampire Weekend and The Velvet Underground, (at least one song had me humming the chorus to “Sweet Jane”). Their debut album Astro Coast comes out on January 19, 2010 on Kanine Records.

If you missed Surfer Blood at CMJ, you’ll have a chance to catch them again this Friday (Nov 13) at the Brooklyn Bowl with the always entertaining Art Brut. More Surfer Blood tour dates and CMJ pics after the jump.